The Clemson Tigers reclaimed the throne atop the ACC from the Noles after a one-year hiatus. However, they were not the same Clemson team from a few years ago.
They return starting quarterback Cade Klubnik, who I predicted would take the next step in Garrett Riley's second year with him. They have some talent returning around him and will be good on defense again.
The game is on the road at Death Valley, which is always a tough place to play. It took the 2023 team going to overtime to win that game. Clemson opens up against LSU this year and that will be a solid barometer to gauge how good they'll be.
Clemson plays SMU and Duke in back-to-back weeks before hosting FSU. FSU should be in good shape coming off the Wake Forest game. Clemson probably wins, based on the experience and talent they have returning, and it's at home.